So, here's an irony for you: After posting last week about how I ain't afraid of no germs, my babies got a wee bit of a cold ... or they're teething ... or both. Regardless, their little noses are all mucousy and shnookly and I'm willing to do anything I can to make my little buddies all better.
Of course, those plastic bulb aspirators really do a whole lotta nothing, so I went ahead and bought a couple of those Nose Frida aspirators that allow you to suck, yes, suck the snot right out of your baby's nose (through a filter though, phew). When the pediatrician first mentioned it to me, I was like, "Oh, hells no!" But after a day of listening to them snarf, I knew I had to take serious action. A few days later, I'm sucking snot out several times a day and, I gotta say, it's pretty satisfying! Oh yeah, it's all kinds of nasty too, but hearing them breathe easy makes it all worth it. And, honestly, there are a lot of other gross things I'm doing, all in the name of love ...
For instance, when my babies have little boogies right there at the front door of the nostrils, I pick them out with my pinkie finger. When I'm cleaning their winkies, I gently pull down the skin to really get into the folds. I gently wipe out their eye goop with a clean finger, pull tiny little pieces of dry skin and wax from their ears, and use my bare hands and water to clean explosive poop from their backs in the kitchen sink. Yeah, that's right, I do it all, without flinching!
But wait, there's more: my babies will occasionally pee on me during baths or diaper changes when I get a little too cocky and don't cover their winkies up. Often, when I'm holding a baby against my chest, he burps and then spits up all down my chest and into my bra. When I nuzzle against their cheeks, they often turn their faces and start sucking on my nose with their wet, gummy mouths, covering it with drooly saliva. A year ago, I would have never imagined joyfully accepting these baby bodily fluids all over me, but now, it just feels like part of being their Mommy and I love every gross second of it.
I'm sure it won't be too long until I'm licking pureed peas off of my fingers or eating an already-been-chewed Cheerio that my boy wants to pop into my mouth. I may be cleaning sheets in the middle of the night when they wet the bed (or diarrhea all over it). They're going to cough in my face and vomit on me and soil their clothes and my clothes again and again and again. I know I have all of these wonderfully nasty things to look forward to, and for some reason, I don't seem to mind. All I know is that for the love of my little boys, I'm pretty sure I would do just about anything ...
Are you surprised by some of the gross things you do for your little ones?
Image via FridaBaby